This invention relates generally to puzzles and particularly to those utilizing a plurality of interconnected pieces capable of multiple configuration and defining a xe2x80x9csolutionxe2x80x9d configuration to solve the puzzle.
Amusement devices utilizing a plurality of pieces or elements which are capable of variable geometric arrangement are well known in the art. Such devices are typically referred as xe2x80x9cpuzzlesxe2x80x9d and most are capable of a variety of orientations and configurations. In such puzzles, the typical solution to the puzzle is found in obtaining a predetermined arrangement or configuration of the puzzle pieces. Often, the external surfaces of the puzzle pieces are variously colored or decorated utilizing a variety of number or letter characters or plural segments of a common picture or artwork.
While a great variety of such puzzle amusement devices have been provided by practitioners in the art, such puzzles may be generally divided as either folding puzzles, sliding piece puzzles or those having a plurality of puzzle pieces with interconnecting elements.
So-called folding piece puzzles are usually fabricated of one or more planar sheets having pluralities of fold lines and/or edges formed therein. Such puzzles are solved by folding the combination into a predetermined configuration. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,520 issued to Matos sets forth an FOLD-THROUGH PICTURE PUZZLE which includes a single base sheet, a plurality of superposed attached sheet bases, a single sheet base folded to form a three-dimensional object or plural sheet bases attached to form a three-dimensional object. Each fold-through picture puzzle is continually foldable in a first forward direction and during folding forms assembled images from respective cooperating image portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,380 issued to Polsky sets forth a FOLDING PICTURE PUZZLE having a rectangular multi-picture member which includes a flat base sheet material having a patchwork of partial picture images printed on at least one playing side. The sheet is additionally subdivided into at least sixteen equal and uniform squares by a combination of score lines and cuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,418 issued to Engel sets forth a PUZZLE AMUSEMENT DEVICE having flat strips of equilateral triangles hinged together at their edges. The strips may then be folded at the hinges and end triangles connected together to form a twisted loop having the overall form of a flattened hexagon.
Typical sliding puzzles provide some sort of supporting surface often surrounded by a boundary or frame within which one or more puzzle elements are movable between alternative positions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,615 issued to Martin sets forth a PUZZLE WITH MOVABLE PIECES having a single plane base on which are mounted movable puzzle pieces. The pieces are restrained in a fixed series of grooves and may be arranged in a desired pattern. The pieces are scrambled in a random arrangement prior to game play which involves moving the pieces to obtain a predetermined arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 487,318 issued to Clarke sets forth a PUZZLE in which a plurality of pieces are enclosed within a box. Some of the pieces are triangular forming various letter arrangements and combinations to solve the puzzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,022,319 issued to Meyercord sets forth a MYSTERY PUZZLE having a plurality of pieces which bear segments or portions of a common picture and which are arranged to form the desired picture image solution in combination.
Puzzle utilizing interconnected pieces which often comprise polygons and linkages configured to define three-dimensional solutions are also provided in great variety. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,100 issued to Essebaggers, et al. sets forth a PYRAMID PUZZLE FORMED FROM TETRAHEDRAL AND OCTAEDER PIECES CONNECTED BY A STRAND sets forth a puzzle having a plurality of three-sided pyramids and four small octaeder-shaped bodies all of which are connected to a string forming an endless chain. The solution of the puzzle is obtained by placing the smaller parts of the puzzle in such a manner that a large pyramid is formed which is uniformly colored by the smaller pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,535 issued to LeCart sets forth a TRIANGLE COMBINATION GAME utilizing a equilateral triangle assembly of hexagonal form subassemblies wherein adjacent subassemblies share two common components and are held together in a manner facilitating rotation of each subassembly around its own center.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,505 issued to Odier sets forth a PUZZLE WITH IRREGULAR PENTAGONAL PIECES each piece having an identical shape defined by an irregular pentagon. The puzzle pieces may be placed on a planar supporting surface in a side-to-side abutment to fully cover the surface and in a variety of alternate configurations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,201,894 issued to Resch sets forth a GEOMETRICAL DEVICE HAVING ARTICULATED RELATIVELY MOVABLE SECTIONS in which a plurality of three-dimensional objects are interconnected by hinged couplings in a manner facilitating alternative arrangements between the three-dimensional devices. The solution is generally defined as one of a selected type of possible arrangements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,578 issued to Sudermann sets forth an ARRAY OF BLOCKS JOINED BY DOUBLE-ACTING HINGE MEANS in which a plurality of equally sized cubes are respectively coupled to adjacent cubes by pairs of opposed crossing filament elements. The opposed pairs of filament elements facilitate the multiple arrangements of the cubes to provide alternate puzzle configurations including a predetermined solution configuration.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have generally improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting, amusing and convenient puzzles and puzzle apparatus.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved puzzle. It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved puzzle which is convenient to carry, simple to use and economical to produce but remains challenging in its solution and manipulation.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a puzzle configurable between a solved configuration and an open configuration, the puzzle comprising: a plurality of puzzle pieces, each puzzle piece having a pair of faceted plates and a detent column joining the pair of plates; and a plurality of linkages, each linkage including a pair of rings joined by a link, each of the rings encircling the detent columns of adjacent puzzle pieces to couple a pair of adjacent puzzle pieces, the detent columns and the rings constructed to cooperatively join the puzzle pieces in a coupling which facilitates rotation of the puzzle pieces individually and rotation of the puzzle pieces about an adjacent puzzle piece.
The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements and in which:
FIG. 1 sets forth a planar view of the present invention puzzle in a solved configuration;
FIG. 2 sets forth a partially sectioned view of the present invention puzzle in an extended configuration;
FIG. 3 sets forth a perspective assembly view of a typical piece and interconnecting linkage arrangement; and
FIG. 4 sets forth a section view of a pair of puzzle pieces taken along section lines 4xe2x80x944 in FIG. 2.